Chambers, Anker recover from election night, look for strategies to win June 18 Columbus Council runoff
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Tuesday night a number of political races across the state and locally were decided.
But there is still some unfinished business for Muscogee County voters in the June 18 runoff.
And at the centerpiece of that unfinished business is a citywide council seat. Businessman John Anker and Realtor Travis Chambers will meet in a runoff to see who takes the Columbus Council District 10 citywide seat vacated last year by John House.
These are two candidates who have been in these citywide electoral fights before. This morning Anker and Chambers were talking about the best way to move forward in an abbreviated runoff cycle.
Anker and Chambers have both ended up on the short end of citywide races.
Two years ago, Anker challenged incumbent Mayor Skip Henderson and was unsuccessful. Chambers lost a runoff for a citywide council seat to Judy Thomas back in 2010.
Both candidates are now looking for a winning formula.
“We’re trying to engage with the citizenry,” Anker said. “You know, 17,000 votes came out. Travis, so far is ahead in the game. We kind of knew it was going to be a tough game. We kind of knew it was going to possibly go into overtime. And I think what we got to do is we got to get out and engage with more people on the issues.”
Chambers, the leading vote-getter on Tuesday, says he will keep pushing the next four weeks.
“I knew anytime you have four candidates in the race, you typically – many times you run into a runoff,” Chambers said. “So, I was pleased with the results. I think the people spoke – I think my voters, my supporters. So we going to keep on running.”
And both men said they learned lessons from the past setbacks.
“I’m running this race, not just for Travis. I’m in this race for the constituents.,” Chambers said. “But community collaboration is very critical here and different perspectives, before you make any sound decision. I think it’s very important that you listen to your community. That race taught me a lot. You know, I was able to cultivate and build a lot of great relationships. Me and Judy have developed a great relationship. And again, I’ve been working in the community ever since. And have not stopped.”
Anker’s loss was more recent.
“To your question: What I learned is really that, you know, the edginess came off a little bit and we’re talking more about the issues,” Anker said. “This was very good. You know, Travis and Rocky and Patrick and myself, I think we all got along. I want to get more into the meat, more into the issues, more the change that’s going to affect our citizens. So, what I learned from running two years ago is maybe how to communicate a little easier and a little nicer in the ways that are going to affect people every day in their lives and our city.”
There is an unusual twist in the District 10 runoff race. It will appear twice on the ballot. Voters will decide the special election to fill the remaining seven months of House’s term. Then they will decide who will represent the council district for the next four years.
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